Tarnished Plant Bug

Tarnished plant bug nymph

Aphid

Tarnished Plant Bug Biology

Adults overwinter in litter Become active on warm days in early spring Lay eggs in stems and stalks Nymphs pass through five instars 3-5 generations per year

Crops Damaged by Tarnished Plant Bug

Celery, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, edible amaranths, snap beans, pepper, eggplant, potato, tomato, spinach, and strawberries.

Tarnished Plant Bug Damage

Brown scarring on midribs of lettuce, celery, and asian greens Brown beads in broccoli Sting and deform snap bean pods Sting flower buds of beans, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, causing them to fall Sting potato leaf petioles causing leaf wilting and death

Tarnished Plant Bug Management

Attracted to flower buds Large numbers can be found in alfalfa, clovers Will move from flowering weeds or cover crops to nearby susceptible crops if mowed, or allowed to dry down Expect an influx if nearby hay fields are mowed - row covers may be necessary

Tarnished Plant Bug Management

Neem products have showed fair (50-75%) control in trials Beauveria bassiana provided about 50% control in strawberries

Peristenus digoneutis
Larval parasitoid first introduced in alfalfa in northwestern New Jersey. Is spreading throughout New York. Has reduced TPB populations by 75% in alfalfa in New Jersey. Has been found in NY in strawberries. Other crops have not yet been studied.

Anaphes iole
Native egg parasitoid of tarnished plant bug

Released at a rate of 15,000/A weekly in western strawberries. Reduces numbers up to 60%. Not tested in the northeast. Cost: $5.00/1000.

Web site listing suppliers of beneficial organisms

http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/ipmi nov/bensuppl.htm